Founded in 1986, the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA) has become an important international educational forum in the field of transnational arbitration, counting among its members and contributors today many of the leading arbitrators and arbitration counsel in the world.

International commercial arbitration is one of several forms of dispute resolution for international commercial agreements. The use of arbitration has increased along with the growth of international trade and commerce and the accompanying disputes springing from these pursuits. In its broadest sense, arbitration is a vehicle of dispute resolution in which parties to a contract select a neutral arbitrator (or a panel of arbitrators) to present their dispute for a legally binding ruling. Arbitration is often selected for the reasons of confidentiality, speed, enforceability of arbitral awards, and to eliminate the uncertainties in the choice of arbitrator and forum. Parties from different national origins may also be reluctant to accept national court litigation with the potential for national bias. Arbitration offers the parties more control over how proceedings will be conducted. Arbitration awards are, with rare exception, final and binding.
International commercial arbitration has many different issues and the researcher needs to have access to numerous resources to make informed decisions. Since no individual format provides exhaustive coverage of international commercial arbitration resources, both print and electronic resources are presented in this guide.

The ICC International Court of Arbitration is the world’s leading institution for resolving international commercial and business disputes.
The total number of cases handled by the Court since it was founded is more than 14,000. In 2005 alone, 521 cases were filed, involving 1,422 parties from 117 countries.
The proliferation of international commercial disputes, many of them involving several parties, is an inevitable by-product of the global economy. Today’s business and operating conditions underscore arbitration’s advantages over litigation, especially in cross-border disputes.

KluwerArbitration offers you a fully-searchable database with materials in the field of International Commercial Arbitration. KluwerArbitration is brought to you by Kluwer Law International in association with the Institute for Transnational Arbitration and the International Council of Commercial Arbitration.

The PCA is perfectly situated at the juncture between public and private international law to meet the rapidly evolving dispute resolution needs of the international community. Under its own modern rules of procedure, which are based upon the highly regarded and widely used UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, the PCA administers arbitration, conciliation and fact finding in disputes involving various combinations of states, private parties and intergovernmental organizations. Not only do states more frequently seek recourse to the PCA, but international commercial arbitration can also be conducted under PCA auspices.

Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association ("PIABA"). PIABA is a national bar association whose member attorneys are dedicated to the representation of investors in disputes with the securities industry.

Mediation

Divorce mediation still feels like a new idea in some parts of the country, but it's increasingly well-known and widely accepted. Mediation means different things to different people. In the form I recommend, you and your spouse would sit down in the same room with each other and with a neutral mediator. With the mediator's help, you would work through all the issues you need to resolve so the two of you can get through your divorce.

Role of the Mediator - Mediation leaves the decision power totally and strictly with the parties. The mediator does not decide what is "fair" or "right," does not assess blame nor render an opinion on the merits or chances of success if the case were litigated. Rather, the mediator acts as a catalyst between opposing interests attempting to bring them together by defining issues and eliminating obstacles to communication, while moderating and guiding the process to avoid confrontation and ill will. The mediator will, however, seek concessions from each side during the mediation process.

The National Mediation Board (NMB), established by the 1934 amendments to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, is an independent agency that performs a central role in facilitating harmonious labor-management relations within two of the nation's key transportation modes--the railroads and airlines. Pursuant to the Railway Labor Act, NMB programs provide an integrated dispute resolution process to effectively meet the statutory objective of minimizing work stoppages in the airline and railroad industries. The NMB's integrated processes specifically are designed to promote three statutory goals:
The prompt and orderly resolution of disputes arising out of the negotiation of new or revised collective bargaining agreements;
The effectuation of employee rights of self-organization where a representation dispute exists; and
The prompt and orderly resolution of disputes over the interpretation or application of existing agreements.

If you've given up on negotiating a settlement of your dispute directly with the other party, mediation may be the best way to solve it. Compared to a lawsuit, mediation is quick, private, fair, and inexpensive. And, if your dispute is with someone that you’ll need (or want) to deal with in the future -- such as an employer, landlord, neighbor, or co-parent -- mediation will help you resolve your disagreement without destroying your relationship.